Drawing A Blank
by Dingleberry
Summary: Shalimar loses her memory
1. Chapter 1

**DRAWING A BLANK**

Rated: R for language and violence

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the Mutant X characters in this story, they belong to Tribune Entertainment Company. No copyright infringement is intended. All other characters in the story are mine.

Thank you to the other authors for their inspiration. Please read and review!

* * *

Shalimar couldn't fall asleep so she decided to go out for a bike ride. The night air was warm and calm - the perfect night for a bike ride.

She'd been driving around for a while and started making her way back home. But on her way back, she noticed a group of people up ahead. There were about six people and they formed a circle. It appeared as if they were cheering at the action going on inside their circle.

As she drew closer she saw someone in the middle of the circle beating on a young boy. She parked her bike and walked towards the group. She stood on the outside of the circle with her arms folded across her chest. "Excuse me, boys."

They all turned around and looked at her, including the one beating on the boy.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she said as she arched her eyebrow.

The boy lying on the ground looked up at her and shook his head, trying to signal her not to get involved. But Shalimar nodded at him, assuring him that everything would be okay.

The man beating on the boy stood up and faced Shalimar, "Why don't you mind your own damn business, little lady. It would be a shame if you were to get hurt because you stuck your nose where it didn't belong."

"Tell ya what, you let him come with me and I'll be on my way."

The man laughed and then looked at the men surrounding him, causing them to laugh as well. "That's a good one! I don't think so. He's OUR catch. Go find your own new mutant."

Shalimar felt those words hit her like a brick. Anger bubbled inside her body and she clenched her fists by her sides. 

The man turned his attention back to the boy, kicking him in the ribs and spitting on him.

"Excuse me," she said once more. "The boy is coming with me."

The man whipped his head up towards her, "He is like hell!" He looked at two of the men that were standing around in the circle, "Take care of her please."

The two men charged at Shalimar but she jumped into the air and kicked out towards them, striking them each in the face. They fell to the ground as she came back down on her feet. She readied herself for another attack and this time two other men came at her. She grabbed one by the neck and used him as a shield as the other man tried punching her. He knocked the man unconscious so she dropped him to the ground in order to fight off the other man.

He twirled around and kicked out towards her head but she grabbed his leg and bent it at an odd angle, sending him to the ground in pain.

The last two men that were in the circle decided to try their luck at subduing her so they both came at her at once. She dodged one of them and then kicked out towards the other man, wrapping her leg around his neck and dragging him to the ground. He hit the ground hard and grunted in pain as his head smacked the pavement.

The man she had dodged came back at her again. They fought hand to hand, equally. He let his guard down for a moment so she grabbed him and flipped him onto the hood of a nearby car. He smashed into the windshield and slid off the hood, unconscious.

Shalimar looked around, waiting for someone else to come at her but all she heard was someone clapping.

"Very impressive," the man from inside the circle said as he stood with his boot on the boy's neck, pinning him to the ground.

Shalimar dusted off her jacket and walked towards him. "We'll be going now." She bent down towards the boy and placed her hand on his shoulder. Just as she did so, she felt something poke her in the shoulder and she heard the cocking of a gun.

"I don't think so...mutant," he said through clenched teeth.

She looked up at him, "What are you talking about? I'm not..."

"Shut up," he said as he dug the barrel of the gun into her left shoulder. "No normal human being fights like that."

Shalimar felt the boy take her hand so she looked down at him. His eyes were filled with tears. "Ju-just leave me," he pleaded.

"Aww, isn't that fucking touching," the man said, pretending to cry.

Shalimar continued to look at the boy and made her eyes turn yellow for a brief moment. When they turned brown again she quickly brought her right hand over and grabbed the man's wrist, pointing the gun away from her body. The gun went off and the bullet sped off into the air. She elbowed the man in the stomach, trying to get him to let go of the gun but he continued to hang onto it.

He swept his arm around and caught her on the side of the head with the butt of the gun. It stunned her for a moment but she shook it off and continued the fight. 

The man raised the gun at her but he soon found himself on the ground. The boy had grabbed his leg and pulled him down. The gun fell from the man's grip and slid across the pavement near where he lay.

Shalimar tried to get the boy to his feet but he struggled to stand on his own. "Go! I want you to get out of here as fast as you can."

The boy did the best he could and managed to stand and begin limping away. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Shalimar."

"Thank you, Shalimar," he whispered to her.

Shalimar turned her attention back to the man and just as she did she felt a burning pain in her left shoulder. She fell to the ground on her back, immediately realizing she'd been shot.

The man hovered over her and pressed his boot to her neck as he pointed his gun at her, cocking it. "You're a feisty bitch, I'll give you that."

Shalimar clutched the wound and could feel her warm, sticky blood dripping all over her hand and down her side. She kicked at the man's legs and knocked him to the ground again. "You think you would have learned by now," she said as she got up and got on top of him, punching him in the face, trying to put her pain in the back of her mind.

The man blocked her punches and tossed her off of him. He got up and kicked her in the ribs, causing her to curl into a ball, gasping for the air that had been knocked out of her lungs. Then he reached down and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, hauling her to her knees. He pointed the gun at her chest as he held her close to his face, "Good-bye, Mutant." She closed her eyes and braced herself for the bullet's entrance as he pulled the trigger.


	2. Chapter 2

She heard a _click_ but didn't feel anything. 

The man's eyes widened as he realized a bullet didn't come out of the chamber. He pulled the trigger again and still nothing happened. The gun was empty.

Shalimar opened her eyes and couldn't help but laugh at the man.

He tucked the gun into the waistband of his jeans and now held her by the shirt with both hands. "You think that's funny, huh? See how funny this is."

The man dragged her over to a car that was parked on the side of the street and smashed her head against the window. The glass shattered and Shalimar immediately lost consciousness. "That's REAL funny isn't it," he spat at her as he felt her body go limp in his hands. He then grabbed her left arm and dragged her down the street a ways until he came to an alley

A large dumpster sat in the middle of the alley, against the wall of one of the buildings. He opened the lid and then looked at her, shaking his head, "Too bad you don't listen. Or maybe that's not one of your mutant powers." He grabbed her right hand and was about to haul her up but noticed her Comlink ring on her finger. "Cool ring," he said as he pulled it off her finger and put it in his pocket. Then he reached into her pants pockets and took all the money she had. "Finders keepers, losers weepers."

After stealing everything he wanted, he tossed her into the dumpster and shut the lid. "Have fun rotting away, bitch," he said as he stomped away.

* * *

Shalimar opened her eyes, blinking the blurriness away. Looking around, she wondered where she was. She started to sit up but the tremendous pain in her shoulder sent her back down. She squeezed her eyes shut and reached her right hand over to place it over her shoulder. She felt a big wad of gauze and creased her eyebrows in confusion. Peeking inside her gown she saw that the gauze was taped to her body. "What the hell?" she cursed out loud. Then she saw a needle stuck in the back of her hand that was attached to a tube that ran up to an I.V. bag by the side of the bed.

Moving her gown away from her shoulder she picked at the tape that held the gauze in place until she was able to peel it away. Slowly she lifted up the gauze and instantly noticed the bruised, mangled flesh and the stitches that sewed the bullet hole closed. Fresh blood seeped out from the wound and caused her stomach to flip flop. 

Just as she was was putting the tape back in place, a man walked into the room. He was a large man with a thick beard and mustache."Good morning."

Shalimar felt her body tense up as he came towards her. "Who are you? What happened to me?"

The man put out his hand in front of him, "It's okay, I'm here to help you. Try to relax." He checked on the machines next to her bed and then reached out for her right wrist in order to check her pulse. He noticed she wasn't eager to let him touch her. "It's okay, really." He gently took her hand and checked her pulse.

"Where am I?"

The man finished checking her pulse and gently laid her arm by her side. "I'm Jeremy. A friend of mine called me last night and said you needed my help. You're somewhere safe."

Shalimar watched him closely as he walked around to the other side of the bed where he checked on her wound.

"Try not to pick at it. The stitches might get a little itchy, I know it's annoying but don't touch," he said with a smile.

"What happened to me?"

"You don't remember?"

Shalimar shook her head.

Jeremy poked at the cut on the side her her head that was closed with numerous stitches. "What's your name?"

Shalimar was about to answer and then realized she couldn't. Panic washed over her. "I don't know! Oh my God, I don't know." She began to stir and the pain got worse.

Jeremy placed a calming hand on her arm, "It's okay, calm down. It's probably a temporary case of amnesia. You hit your head pretty good. It may take some time to get your memory back. Just take it slow."

"What happened to my shoulder?"

"You were shot."

"What?!?"

"You're actually very lucky. The bullet didn't do any internal damage but it was dangerously close to your heart. Another inch and you'd be dead."

Shalimar tried to digest what he was saying to her. "I-I don't understand. Wh-why was I shot?"

Jeremy walked over to the door and shut it before returning back to her bed side. "My friend who called me, you're like him."

Shalimar frowned with confusion.

"You are a new mutant."

"What?!? I-I'm not," she stuttered.

Jeremy reached over and got a small mirror and handed it to her. "What your eyes." He took out a cigarette lighter and flicked it, holding the flame near her.

Her body stiffened in fear and her eyes turned yellow. "Oh my God!" she gasped. She let go of the mirror and it slid off the bed and smashed onto the floor.

Jeremy quickly put the lighter away and placed his hand on her arm again. "It's okay, you're okay. Relax." Her heart monitor beeped quickly and it worried him.

Shalimar began to cry but in doing so it caused more pain. She squeezed her shut and grunted in pain.

He saw that she was hurting so he took out a bottle of pain medication and administered it through her I.V. "This should help you with the pain."

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you," she said softly. 

Jeremy smiled at her. "I'm gonna let you get some rest. I'll be back in a few hours to check on you and we'll see if we can work on helping you remember who you are."

Shalimar nodded and drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Brennan went into the kitchen area and found Emma and Jesse eating breakfast. "Is Shalimar up yet?"

"I think she got up early and went for a ride because she's not in her room and her bike's gone," Emma answered with her mouth full of cereal.

Brennan poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip from it. He looked at his watch, "She and I were supposed to work on the new fight simulation this morning."

"I'm sure she'll be back soon," Jesse said.

Brennan left the room and headed for the data center.

* * *

Jeremy entered Shalimar's room and found her awake. "How ya doing?"

"Okay, I guess. It hurts a lot."

"Gunshot wounds are no fun, and I'm not just saying that. I speak from experience," he said as he pulled up a chair beside her bed. "I got shot many, many years ago when I was just a child."

"Who shot you?"

Jeremy hesitated for a moment. "My father."

"Why?" Shalimar asked, surprised at his answer.

"Because I am a mutant, just like you. My father wasn't happy with the fact that his only son was a 'freak,' as he put it."

"What about your mother?"

"My mother died in childbirth so it was just me and my father. I was aware of my abilities at an early age and never said anything. He caught me using these abilities one day and that's how he found out."

"What can you do?"

"I'm a telepath. I can read minds and levitate objects." He demonstrated by staring at plant on the window sill, making it slowly rise into the air.

"Wow! That's actually really cool."

He set the plant back down and turned back to her. 

"Did your friend see who shot me?" she asked.

Jeremy nodded, "Yes. They were beating him up when you came along and saved him from them. If you hadn't shown up when you did he'd probably be dead. I guess it's fair to say that you're both even. You saved his life and he saved yours by calling me so quickly. You would have bled to death in that dumpster."

"A dumpster?"

"The man that shot you threw you into the dumpster and left you there to die." Jeremy saw her start to get emotional again so he patted her hand, "I'm sorry. Let's not talk about it at the moment. Concentrate on getting stronger."

"Where is your friend? Can I see him? I'd like to thank him."

"He's resting in another room. Maybe tomorrow."

"Where exactly are we?"

"It's kind of like a safehouse where new mutants come when they're hurt or in trouble. I opened this place up a few years ago when mutants began to get harassed for being mutants. They had no place to go when they were hurt. Some hospitals refused to treat them because they were afraid of 'catching what they had.' They just don't understand us and don't want to take the time to try and understand us."

Jeremy checked the machines again and was satisfied with what he saw. "Why don't you get some more rest. I'll bring some lunch in in a little while. I have to go to the market. Do you want anything special?"

"I'm not very hungry."

"You have to eat at least something. I'll pick up a few things for you just in case." He smiled at her as he got up and left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Brennan threw his pen down on the console, frustrated that Shalimar was no where to be found. "Shalimar!" he yelled into his Comlink ring. He waited for an answer and didn't get one. "Shalimar, where the hell are you? You said you were going to be here at nine o'clock and it's now ten thirty. The least..."

"Hello?" a voice said.

Brennan was surprised by the male voice responding to him, "Who is this?"

"Who is THIS?" the man asked. "What is this thing? One of those secret rings you get from a cereal box?"

"Where's Shalimar?" Brennan asked sternly.

"Shalimar? So that was her name."

Brennan felt his stomach drop when he said the word _was_. "Where is she!"

The man laughed, "Why should I tell you? What are you her boyfriend or something, maybe her husband?"

"Just tell me where she is!"

"Let me just tell you that your girlfriend, or whatever she was, was a handful."

"Why do you keep saying 'was!' What did you do to her?"

"She's a goddamn mutant, and a nosey one at that. She stuck her nose where it didn't belong in order to help out another one of those freaky mutants and it cost her. Hey wait...I bet you're one of those mutants too, huh?"

Brennan didn't answer him. "Just tell me where she is, please."

"Oh, I like this. Beg for me to tell you, mutant. Go on. Beg!" The man roared with laughter. "No, no, better yet...you give me two million dollars and I'll tell you exactly where she is."

Brennan ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I can't make that decision on my own. I..."

"Well then you better hurry up and get me an answer. I'm not a very patient man, ask Shalimar. Oh wait, you can't ask her." The man began to laugh again and it made Brennan sick to his stomach.

"I'll get you an answer within a half hour," Brennan said.

"Deal. You know where to find me."

Brennan got up and ran out of the room to gather up the others.

* * *

Jeremy was on his way to the market and decided to pass by the place where Shalimar had been shot. The area was blocked off with yellow Police tape and there were a lot of detectives inspecting the scene. He pulled over and mingled with the crowd that had formed around the scene.

"What happened," he asked a woman standing next to him.

"There was a shooting last night. Some woman on that motorcycle parked by the curb started a fight with some men. Must have been a cheating husband or something."

Jeremy wasn't surprised that the story was already being twisted. "Who was the woman?"

"They don't know. She disappeared. They only have a description. I'm sure it'll be on the news," she pointed over to the news crew standing at the edge of the curb.

"Thanks," Jeremy said as he walked back to his car and drove away.

* * *

Brennan was out of breath by the time he caught up with Jesse and Emma. "Where's Adam?"

"I dunno," Jesse said. "You okay?"

"No. I need to find Adam fast!"

"Brennan?" Adam said as he walked into the room.

Brennan quickly turned around and sighed, "Adam, thank God. Shalimar's missing. Some guy has her Comlink ring, I just spoke with him. He's talking like she's dead."

"Woah, slow down, you're not making any sense." Adam put his hands on Brennan's shoulders and guided him to a chair, making him sit down. "Start again."

Brennan took a deep breath. "Shalimar was supposed to meet me this morning to go over the new fight sim and she didn't show up. Jesse and Emma said her bike was gone early this morning so we assumed she just went out for a quick ride. I got mad so I called her on her Comlink but some guy answered. He said she 'stuck her nose where it didn't belong' when she was helping another mutant so I can only think that she got involved in something she shouldn't have. He won't tell me where she is unless we give him two million dollars."

"What?!"

"Adam, we have to act fast. I need to call him back soon with an answer."

Jesse and Emma listened on in horror and disbelief.

"The money is no problem. I just want to be sure he's not going to lead us on a wild goose chase."

"We have no choice," Brennan said as he continued to try and steady his breathing.

"Fine. Call him back. Let's play this out."

"Hello?" Brennan said as he spoke into his ring.

"Do you have the money?" the man asked.

"Yes. Where do you want me to meet you?" 

"The playground on Anderson Avenue. You've got twenty minutes."

Brennan looked up at Adam and could see the fear in his eyes.

"I'll arrange for the money," Adam said as he quickly left the room.

Jesse and Emma got up and hugged Brennan. "We'll find her, don't worry," Jesse said.


	5. Chapter 5

Jeremy got back to the safehouse and brought Shalimar a sandwich. "Here ya go."

"I'll eat in a while. Still not very hungry."

"You need to regain your strength so you have to at least eat something. Promise me you will."

"I promise," she said with a small smile.

Jeremy turned on the TV. "I hear that you're a celebrity."

"Huh?"

"I went by the place you got shot and there are police and news people all over."

They watched the TV and Jeremy flipped through the stations. He finally came across a station that was covering the story so he turned up the volume.

"I'm standing outside of the McGillis Bar & Grill on Anderson Avenue which is now considered a crime scene. Early this morning a fight broke out amongst a woman and several men. Witnesses say a woman driving this motorcycle approached the men and an argument soon broke out. The woman was shot but has disappeared. A trail of blood was found in a nearby alley and dumpster. Police are now trying to use the blood samples taken at the scene to find out who was involved in the shooting. No arrests have been made.

We do have a sketch of the woman. Police are asking anyone with any information on this woman to please call them immediately. Live from Anderson Avenue I'm Dawn Gentile."

Jeremy turned the TV off and looked at Shalimar who had her eyes shut tightly. "You okay?" he asked as he got up and went over to her.

"I-I just had a flashback or something."

"What do you see?"  


"It's dark. I see some men lying on the ground around me." She opened her eyes, "That's all I see."

"You're starting to remember. Seeing that newscast must have helped trigger your memories."

Shalimar struggled to remember more but couldn't. "I can't remember anything else. I want to remember!"

"You will, in time. You just have to let it happen on it's own."

Shalimar focused on the images she saw in her mind and replayed them over and over in hopes of jogging her memory.

* * *

Brennan pulled into the parking lot of the playground and turned off the ignition. "I don't see him," he said to the others.

Adam pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked out into the park, scanning the area. "Behind the tree, he's behind the tree. I can see the sun reflecting off his belt buckle."

Emma handed the suitcase of money to Brennan from the backseat. "Good luck."

"We've got your back so don't worry," Jesse assured him.

Brennan got out of the van and began walking towards the middle of the playground. The man came out from behind the tree and walked towards Brennan.

"Nice of you to make it, and on time too. I trust that you've got all of my money with you?"

"Yes," Brennan said as he stopped walking.

The man extended his hand, "Let me see it."

"Not so fast. Tell me where she is first."

The man thought about it for a moment, "Fine. She's closer than you think."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brennan asked.

The man pointed across the street towards the bar. "She's over there."

Brennan looked over and saw the bar.

"Now give me the money."

Brennan tossed him the suitcase. He caught it and placed it on the ground, opening it up.

Brennan started to walk away when suddenly he heard the man yell at him. "What the fuck, man?" 

He turned around and saw the man pull out a gun.

"Where's MY MONEY?!?" He tossed the suitcase at Brennan and phony bills began scattering around the ground.

Brennan waved his hands together and generated a bolt of electricity and then hurled it at the man. The man felt backwards onto the ground, unconscious. Brennan grabbed him and dragged him back to the van.

He tossed the man in the back and Jesse restrained him.

Brennan climbed into the driver's seat. "He says she's over there across the street." He started the van and skidded away.

They pulled up to the bar. Adam and Brennan got out and scanned the area. "Adam, look," Brennan said as he pointed to the blood stains on the pavement.

Adam looked and then noted the trail that led down the street. Both men followed it into the alley and over to the dumpster. Brennan swallowed hard and looked at Adam. Adam nodded for him to open it so he did. They both held their breath as they looked around inside it but didn't find anything but garbage and more blood. 

Adam took out a plastic container with a cotton swab in it and took a sample of the blood. "I'll test this as soon as we get back."

"It's hers," a voice said from somewhere in the alley.

Brennan and Adam looked around for the source of the voice. Suddenly a small girl appeared before them. Her clothes were filthy and torn.

Adam knelt down before her, "Did you see what she looks like?"

"Pretty, long, blonde hair. She tried to help my brother."

"You saw what happened to her?" Brennan asked.

The little girl nodded. 

"Can you tell us what happened to her and to your brother?" Adam asked.

"They caught my brother and started beating him up. She stopped to help him. She got the men away from him and she told him to run away. One man had a gun and he shot her. Then he slammed her head against a car window. He put her in this dumpster then he ran away. I was in my hiding place when I saw it."

"If we show you the man will you recognize him?" Brennan asked her.

The little girl nodded.

Adam and Brennan walked the little girl over to the van and opened the back door. She looked at the man who was laying in the back, unconscious.

"That's him!" she gasped. "He's a bad, bad man!"

Brennan closed the door as Adam comforted the girl. "It's okay. He's not going to hurt anyone anymore. Where did the lady with the blonde hair go?"

"I can't tell you, it's a secret."

"It's okay, you can tell us. We're here to help her," Brennan assured her.

She shook her head, "I can't. I'm not supposed to tell anyone about this place. I promised my brother that I would never tell."

"Is your brother there right now?" Adam asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know why the men were beating him up?" Brennan asked her.

She nodded and hung her head.

"Why?" Adam asked as he gently lifted her head.

"Because he's different."

"Different...how?" Brennan asked.

"I can't say."

"Can he do something like this?" Brennan put his fingers together and created small bolts of electricity.

The girl immediately smiled, "No. But he can bend metal with his mind."

Adam looked at the girl, "Please, can you tell us where to find our friend? We need to find her if she's hurt."

The girl took Adam's hand, "Okay."

They got the little girl into the van and headed off to the safehouse.

* * *

Jeremy stood in the doorway of Shalimar's room. "I have someone that wants to see you." He stepped back and the little boy that Shalimar had helped walked into her room with the aid of some crutches.

She smiled at him and he smiled at her. "Hi," he said.

"Hi."

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me. Those men have given me and my sister trouble before but it was bad this time."

"You're the boy I helped?"

He looked at Jeremy, unsure of her confusion.

"She lost her memory and doesn't remember what happened. And she doesn't remember her name."

The boy turned back to Shalimar, "Your name is Shalimar. You told me your name before I got away."

Shalimar stared into space for a moment as she repeated the name over and over in her head. It sounded so familiar. Then she flashed on Brennan's face, hearing him saying her name.

"Shalimar? You all right?" Jeremy asked.

She snapped out of it, "Yeah. I-I just remember someone calling me by that name."

The boy sat in the chair by her bed.

"What's your name," she asked him.

"Joey."

"You said you have a sister. Where is she?" Shalimar asked.

"She's at home...well...what WE call home."

"Where are your parents?" she asked.

Jeremy left the room to let them talk.

"They were killed in a car accident a few years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We've been okay on our own. Jeremy helps us whenever he can, too."

Shalimar shifted and winced at the pain in her shoulder.

"I saw him shoot you," Joey said softly.

"Can you tell me what happened. Maybe I can remember."

"Well, they chased me out of the bar when I went in to steal some food for me and my sister. Then they began beating me up. That's when you showed up. You fought with them and knocked them all out but the man that kept hitting me was the last one. He shot you and then smashed your head into a car window. Then he dragged you to a dumpster in an alley. I called Jeremy and he came to get us."

Shalimar went back into her haze and saw flashes of a man shooting a gun at her. Then she flashed to a vision of the boy lying on the ground, bloody. "Oh my God, I'm starting to remember bits and pieces."

Joey seemed afraid, "Do you want me to go get Jeremy?"

"No, I'm fine. This is a good thing." Shalimar tried to sit up a bit but pain charged through her body. She put it out of her mind and focused on the images she saw. Then she saw the vision of Brennan again. "Brennan."

"Huh?" he asked.

"His name is Brennan. I can see his face. I remember him calling me by my name." She began to cry.

Joey stood up, "I'm gonna go get Jeremy."

Jeremy soon returned to Shalimar's room but he wasn't alone. "Shalimar?" Brennan said quietly.

She looked across the room and saw Brennan's face. "Brennan?"

He dashed to her side and took her hand, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine."

Adam, Jesse and Emma entered the room slowly.

"Jeremy told us that you're having trouble remembering," Brennan said.

"A little. It's coming back to me slowly. Guess I got my head bashed in a little too hard."

"Yeah, Marissa told us all about what happened."

Shalimar looked towards the doorway and saw Marissa peeking around the corner. Shalimar gave her a slight wave and Marissa smiled at her. Joey stood close to her.

"Have you guys met Joey? He saved my life."

"You saved mine, too," he said.

Brennan looked at Shalimar who was focusing on Adam's face, trying to remember who he was. "This is..."

"Adam," she said.

Adam stepped closer to her, feeling so distant from her because she didn't know who he was. "Hi Shalimar. We're gonna take you back to the Sanctuary."

"What's the Sanctuary?"

"It's a place like this. It's your home," Adam said to her.

She smiled and then looked at Jesse and Emma who stood at the foot of her bed. "Jesse?"

Jesse's mouth grew to a huge smile as he walked over to her. "You remember me?"

"A little bit, yeah."

Emma began to cry, wondering whether Shalimar would be able to remember her.

Shalimar reached out her hand towards Emma, "Emma?"

More tears fell from Emma's eyes as she walked over and took Shalimar's hand, giving it a kiss. "Oh Shalimar. You scared all of us."

"I'm sorry you guys."

Jeremy came into the room, "I'll get her charts ready for you, Adam."

Adam shook Jeremy's hand, "Thank you so much for taking care of her. If you need anything please don't hesitate to call me." Adam looked at Marissa and Joey, "I'd like to offer you two a real home. A place where you won't have to worry about being made fun of."

Marissa looked at Joey who was already smiling.

Adam smiled back at them. 

* * *

EPILOGUE - Shalimar was brought back to the Sanctuary where she eventually regained her memory.

Marissa and Joey stayed at the Sanctuary for a few days before leaving for their new home at a secret safehouse.

The man that shot Shalimar was turned over to the authorities. The true story of what happened that night was told and Shalimar was cleared of any wrong doing.

THE END


End file.
